Is Radiative Convective Equilibrium Applicable Over the Tibetan Plateau?

Abstract Radiative convective equilibrium (RCE) critically constrains tropical climates, but its applicability to elevated terrains such as the Tibetan Plateau (TP) remains unknown. Based on 23 years (2001–2023) of multiple observational data sets, our study provides the first comprehensive observational assessment of RCE applicability over the TP. We find that the TP exhibits a pronounced annual‐mean energy imbalance (−15.9 W/m 2 ), characterized by strong seasonal asymmetry. Summers show intense positive energy imbalance (+56.0 W/m 2 ) driven by latent heating from precipitation, while winters show extreme radiative cooling (−71.8 W/m 2 ). Transitional months (April/September) alone achieve transient energy balance. The TP manifests four energy imbalance regimes, categorized by precipitation intensity and radiative cooling thresholds. These regimes transition seasonally, with Strong Precipitation‐Weak Cooling dominating summer monsoonal regions and Weak Precipitation‐Strong Cooling prevailing in winter and autumn. Daily near‐RCE conditions occur transiently with only 5%–10% frequency across all spatiotemporal scales, contrasting sharply with tropical regions where equilibrium emerges through spatial aggregation. Analysis of extreme events reveals that intense latent heating drives a positive imbalance during summer heating events, which is compensated primarily by enhanced vertical dry static energy divergence. Persistent radiative cooling creates a sustained negative imbalance during winter cooling events, which is countered by vertical divergence of dry static energy flux and meridional cold air advection. These results challenge the direct application of tropical RCE paradigms to the TP region and highlight the need for a skewed RCE framework that explicitly incorporates the TP's unique thermal forcing effects.